Late Drive Lifts Lyman To 2A Championship Win Over Lovell [VIDEO]

Highlights of the 2A Football State Championship game, between Lovell vs. Lyman.

Scroll down to watch the highlights of the game!

Despite losing the turnover battle, the Eagles defense would hold the opposition scoreless in the 4th quarter, while the offense would put together a successful time consuming 15 play 79 yard drive, and score the winning TD with 43 seconds to go, for the win.

Our feathered friend was not quite ready to fly south and avoid the cold just yet…he had to see one last football game.

Lovell vs. Lyman for the 2A state championship…first quarter…Lovell wearing the white jersies…testing their luck against the #1 defense in the state in all classes. Dylan Hultgren’s pass was right on, but Dalton Schofield was just barely able to get a hand in and break it up at the last moment. Lyman was only giving up a little more than 1-hundred yards per game coming in.

Then they would get their turn on offense…it took a couple of pushes but Bransen Bradshaw would get in on the second effort. This drive was aided by 2 face mask penalties against the Bulldog defense. Lyman is on the board first, leading 8-to-nothing, after the first 12 minutes.

Second quarter…the defending champs had to come up with a new trick to move the ball and this one was a beauty. Hultgren was scrambling and then he says go fetch…into triple coverage and somehow Ryan Clark made the catch for a 35 yard pickup all the way down to the 12 yard line and that Bulldog earned himself an extra treat.

A few plays later…here comes the big dog…Dino Collins…the leading touchdown scorer in the state in all classes…1 yard is an easy score for him and his team is only down 8-to-7.

Now one thing that Lyman is not too well known for this season was passing and here’s an example why…Bradshaw’s pass never had the distance to get to the intended receiver. Nathan Grant has himself an easy interception that he’ll run back into enemy territory. Throw in a late hit penalty and Lovell would set up shop at the Eagles 22 yard line.

A couple of plays later and a 10 yard holding penalty against Lovell…they’d cash in. Hultgren swings the pass out to Collins…and watch the moves by the senior…this guy is a state champion wrestler. If he can put on moves like that with the lower half of his body…just wait until he gets someone on the mat. Everyone is in trouble. 34 yards to pay-dirt and that will help his team take the lead…the score is now 14-to-8.

This is the first time all season that Lyman has trailed, but they kept it together. Bradshaw will muscle his way through the line and score from 2 yards away. The senior had 143 yards rushing and scored 3 times as his team would retake the advantage…leading 16-to-14 going into the locker room.

3rd quarter…the Bulldogs knew that it was hard to run against the opposition…but passing was a different story. Hultgren finds Hyram Hopkin open…and the junior will get about 5 more yards after the initial hit…any offensive coach likes that…a 41 yard pickup and they were trying to sniff out another score on this drive.

The Bulldogs were trying to add some bite to their bark on this drive, but Grant is going to lose the ball before he can cross the goal line. Marty Rollins would recover for Lyman at the inch line. Not the greatest of spots, but at least that saved 6 points for the time being.

A couple of possessions later…the Eagles were starting from their own 20 and did not get far…Kyle Stokes will put the ball on the ground and Drake Welch will dig it up for the Bulldogs, who now have another great opportunity as they would start a drive on the opposing 23 yard line.

On the next play…Lovell knew they had to strike quickly and that was the plan all along. Hultgren connects with Austin Ellis who is open at the 12…he just has to get around 1 guy and make it to the pylon, which he eventually will for a 23 yard score…coming into this game, Lyman’s defense had only given up 18 points on the entire season…this score enable the Bulldogs to double that number plus extra…they were up 20-to-16, going into the final 12 minutes.

4th quarter…the Eagles were passing again…and just like before…not a good idea. I’m not sure where the receiver was on that one. Ellis gets an easy I-N-T…and he might have taken that one back all the way, had he not cut back just before mid-field. His team was winning the turnover battle, but they could not cash in on that one, and had to punt the ball away.

Lyman would get another possession…this one deep in their own territory, and by now I think you know what’s going to happen. Bobby Wingeleth will bobble the pass and Grant has another interception. Another turnover and Lovell would have another short field to work with on their next possession.

But then the tide of this game would start to turn and it happened on the next play. Hultgren has a sea of blue heading towards him and he’s going to get swallowed up by Dustin Rollins for a 10 yard loss. That was the break that Lyman needed, but another one would be even better.

The Bulldogs were looking for a quick finish, but they may have been too quick for their own good on this one. Forrest Rockhill got the tip on the far side and Stokes would get the turnover. The defense did their job, now the Eagles offense needs to get to work, big time.

…and they did. A 15-play 79 yard drive that took more than 5 and ½ minutes to complete. Bradshaw is in that pile somewhere. The refs just needed to sort through to see if the ball broke the plane of the goal line and they would raise their hands because they were sure… 2 point conversion no good, so Lyman was hanging on to a 22-20 lead, with 43 seconds to go.

That’s enough time for Lovell to mount a drive and get into field goal range…Hultgren ended up with 216 passing yards, but Schofield is going to leap up and steal this one. That Eagle just earned his wings because that interception would seal the deal.

Lyman would avenge last year’s title game loss, and take home this year’s trophy. 22-20 was the final score. The Eagles finish the season with an undefeated 11-and-oh record.